A Dark Faerie Tale Series Omnibus Edition (19 page)

“You have to walk down the west side of the cliffs or take a long rope bridge across this great river.” Ewan pointed at a line crossing across the largest of the rivers that bisected the cliffs.

Shade cringed because crossing a bridge held together by rope was not much of a comfort either.
Caves and unstable bridges; it’s my lucky day.
Her throat ached from nerves, and it felt as if there were a knot in it. “Really? Ah man, do we have to go on a rope bridge?” She glanced at Jack and Ewan. “And another cave?”

“You afraid of heights, Shade?” They said at once and laughed at the disgust all over her face.

“No! Of course not! It’s just, they’re so flimsy! It rocks a lot, and it just isn’t safe!” She crossed her arms and huffed away. Jack started coughing, trying to hold back his laughter while Ewan slapped him on his back.

When they had stopped snickering, Ewan cleared his throat, his face flushed and his eyes twinkling bright. He motioned for everyone to gather their stuff and fall back into line to leave.

Shade fell in with the group, still grumbling under her breath. She followed everyone out along the bank of the rushing river. She began to wonder just how long it was going to take to get to the Santiran Fountains. It felt like they had been gone forever. Her patience was wearing thin, especially with nature. Seeing the map made her feel even more sullen. The territory they were crossing was enormous and so vast that it seemed like they hadn’t really gone that far. So much had happened already, and they were not even close yet.

“Hey, having fun yet?” Soap asked as he hung back from the others and fell in step with her.  She gave him a nasty look and didn’t like the fact that someone else from the group was making fun of her.

“Ok, Ok, no need to be harsh,” he said, losing his usual grin. “I was just wondering something, Shade. And I hope you would answer this for me.”

She sighed and turned back toward Soap. His contagious good mood was already flowing over her and taming her gloomy demeanor. She grinned back, nodding. “What is it?” She slipped on a damp, mossy rock in the slick grasses. Soap caught her arm and cradled her with his other one. Her face was so close to his, he could have kissed her. She laughed a bit and thanked him for catching her before he answered, straightening herself up.

“The voices, the ones you said are your spirit guides. Are they still bothering you? What do they say about us?”

Shade took a deep breath and thought about it for a moment. She hadn’t really heard from her spirit guides since they’d left the caverns. As a matter of fact, she hadn’t heard the voices at all since waking up from the attack. It had actually been kind of nice not to hear any noise in her head but her own thoughts. She stretched out her mind to find them but no one answered her inner thoughts. Panic suddenly swirled inside her as she felt a kind of emptiness without them.

Why have they been silent? Maybe they’re gone for good now.

“Honestly, I haven’t had them talk to me since Darren attacked me. It’s funny, my whole life I wished they would just shut up and now–now I miss them.”

“Well, it’s probably just the rivers; they’re quite magical, you know. They say that the rivers are the roads of dreams. Once you stand by one, the magic is too strong. It can literally turn a fey into a near mortal. We can’t use too much of our magic here; the river won’t have it. That’s the myth, anyway. It’s like dead space to our kind, the in between of worlds. I think it might be affecting you, too. I literally can’t change around the rivers. I can only use a simple glamour and charms. It’s strange….”

Shade nodded as they continued down the slippery banks without speaking again for a while. She wondered if Soap wanted to ask her anything else. He seemed more quiet than usual. This would have bothered her more, but concentrating on not slipping on another rock or mossy wet patch kept her attention for now. They reached the edge of the bank to another crossing area. She groaned as she watched the front of the group submerge themselves up to their waists in cold river water. The rush of the current wasn’t as strong at the crossings points, but she loathed the cold feel of the water. She reached the edge of the bank and watched as Soap strode right on in without so much as a whimper.
Man up, already
! She sighed and dipped her feet into the icy water, sucking in a breath.

She was near the other side when she heard some shouting. She straightened up to see further up the bank where Ewan, Jack, and Than were wildly shouting at someone, someone she couldn’t see from her position in the river.

“Shade, come on, I think we’re being attacked. Hurry!” Sary waved at her frantically and held her other hand out to her. She took it and pulled herself up out of the rushing waters. The chill was there again, and her teeth chattered together. She was pretty sure her lips were blue with cold. Sary kept half turning and pressing her on to follow, practically dragging her along.

Soap had already left his position in front of her to join Jack and the others, who were now taking shelter behind some trees and drawing weapons. Shade found a large tree trunk to hide behind as arrows started sailing by, buzzing like bees as they flew. She felt drugged and sluggish from the cold. She had the blanket on, but in the cover of the trees and with no hot tea to drink this time, she was not recovering as well as before. Huddling against the tree and pulling the blanket around tightly for warmth, she was still shivering. She peeked around the tree as there was a break in the flying arrows. Whoever was attacking them had either run out or was restocking their weapons.

Jack was yelling at someone. Everyone stood their ground, hiding in their makeshift covers. She couldn’t see who or what they were yelling at. She strained to hear anything… and then suddenly it came, a voice. The gravely laugh was in the distance, but whoever it belong to was not too far away.

“You can’t hide forever, little half-breed. I know she’s with you. Just hand her over, and we’ll be on our way.” The voice screeched through the trees.

Who is that? I’ve heard that voice before,
Shade thought as the cruel laugh made her cringe. She strained a little more to see across the trees, spotting the owner of the voice. Lady Blythe was perched on a branch not too far above Ewan and the others. The Queen of the Dryad’s skeletal, translucent wings were fluttering so fast that Shade could barely see them. If there hadn’t been a slight breeze whirling around her, the tiny wings would have gone unnoticed altogether. Shade’s heart pounded; she knew just what they wanted but not why.

“We will never give her to you, Blythe! You are far beyond your borders, and you have no rights here. This is neutral territory. Be gone already!” Jack’s voice was strong and sturdy. He did not seem afraid but was definitely on the side of caution.

“You stupid fool! You dare insult me? I am Queen here. The trees are
my
domain, no matter where! You give me the Halfling and I let you leave alive, otherwise you can all die, and I still take the girl. Choose wisely!” Her cackling voice echoed through the air.

Shade didn’t think it was possible, but she felt even colder than before. She worked hard to keep her teeth from chattering again, praying silently that the old hag of a faery would leave her alone. She didn’t look like a nice faery from the ‘fairy’ stories of Shade’s childhood. She looked vicious, dark and ruthless flying up there in the branches. Shade’s heart was racing as she glanced around, trying to think of a way to get away from there.

“No, Lady Blythe. We can’t do that; it is our oath to protect her and that we will, to the death even.” Jack was holding his sword out; it glinted in the few rays that escaped the canopy of tree leaves above.

“So be it, die then,” she said without feeling. Lady Blythe laughed even harder as more arrows began to fly.

Shade ducked back behind the trunk and looked around for the others. Sary was pulling out daggers and weapons from behind a tree near her. Stephen was already returning arrows to whomever it was that was shooting them. Some screams of pain howled through the trees, but she wasn’t sure who was behind it. Cracking branches and thumps in the bushes made her jump. She pulled out her own short sword and held it tightly in her hands. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and pressed herself to the tree, trying to become one with it. If only she could change into a tree, she could hide pretty well then.

The battle spilled around her as Lady Blythe’s warriors pushed back against them. Jack was clanging swords against one tall but slender fighter. He had bulging muscles and pale skin much like Blythe’s, and long white hair. All but his eyes were pale; and his skin was almost translucent. A pair of wings were tightly folded and pressed against his back to avoid being sliced by a sword. He wore thin metal armor that glinted in the streams of light as he fought. They all looked similar to the queen, and they worked and moved together like a hive of drones.

Shade ran for cover at the edge of the battle and hid behind some large looming trees.
The best way I can help everyone is to stay hidden and avoid getting hit,
she thought. Part of her wanted to help, but she was sure there was no way she could fight.

Suddenly, the arrows stopped altogether, and everyone was on the ground fighting. Even Blythe had joined the fight with her own dual slender swords. She was holding off Than, who was fighting with his daggers, their silver sheen glinting with every movement. She kicked him hard in the stomach and laughed as he flew back onto the ground. Dirt was flying up everywhere. Blythe caught Shade watching her and a sinister smile crept across her face as she started toward Shade.

“Come here, little girlie.” She started marching toward Shade but ran right into Jack and his swords, losing one of hers in the collision. She blocked him with her remaining sword and began battling his two. The metallic resonance filled the air as Shade backed away into the shadow of the forest. Her heart was pounding in her chest so hard that she could feel the beat vibrating in her throat. She felt flushed as her blood pumped rapidly throughout her body, and her breaths grew short and quick.

             
“Shade!” Dylan was now next to her and tugging at her arm. He led her deeper into the woods, and she tried hard to not stumble or fall on the branches and dead shrubbery that scraped at her legs and sliced at her arms.

“Slow down, Dylan! I can’t go that fast!” Her hand slipped from his as she fell to the ground, grinding her knees into the dirt and rock.

Dylan didn’t pick her up. He was now occupied, swinging his sword against another warrior dryad. As they fought around her, Shade managed to get to her feet. Mud streaked across her jeans and hands, making her wipe even more of the mess onto her pants. It was then that she noticed her sword had fallen onto the ground. She looked back over her shoulder at Dylan; he and his foe were still clanging their swords together. Dylan had a cut along his left forearm that was streaked with blood. Shade stepped forward and bent down to grab her sword, swearing as she did, for her right knee was on fire.
I must have scraped it or bruised it when I fell.
She stumbled to another tree and pressed her back to it, gripping the sword in her hands; the blade and hilt also caked in mud.

Her eyes were stinging with tears, although she hadn’t noticed that she’d been crying. Swallowing back a sob, she shook with fear. Breathing deeply, she looked around the large tree trunk and tried to see through the woods for anyone else in the group. She heard screams, yelling and swords clanging, but she wasn’t as close to the fighters as she’d first thought. She couldn’t hear them clearly anymore, realizing she’d stumbled too far away. Her heart jumped as morbid thoughts crept into her head.
What if they’re hurt or dead?
She couldn’t even see Dylan anymore but continued to hear the clank of swords.

Shade moved slowly from her spot and crept closer to the voices, using the trees and bushes for cover. She hunched behind them, pressing herself into them, wishing she could blend into them and disappear. The hilt of her sword was cool but reminded her of playing pirates with fake swords as a child. She tried her best to slow her breathing, feeling slightly dizzy from her frantic panting. Shade listened intently, but it seemed like the fighting had died down. The silence was even more frightening than the noise. Leaves rustling above her like a flock of birds flapping their wings, startling her. She could hear a loud roar of rushing water behind her but nothing else.

This can’t be good. What now? Where is everyone?
Shade waited for an answer. Her spirit guides were silent.
What happened to you guys?
The silence made her feel utterly alone. The forest was daunting, dark, and forlorn. She let the tears flow but bit her lip to swallow her sobs. Sliding down the trunk, she curled herself in the oversized roots that veined the dirt. Her legs bent up under her as she hugged them, her sword still dangling loosely from her hands.

Time seemed to have stopped now. She still couldn’t hear anyone but felt afraid to move. A cool breeze rustled the canopy of the trees, and it felt like something, or someone, had brushed against her, making her jump just a bit. It prickled along her arms like cactus spines, making her realize someone was very close. She held her breath and slowly stood up, still pressed to the trunk. Listening, she knew that whoever was around was trying to blend in too.

Shade could feel eyes burning into her as though they were waiting for her to give herself away. She wiped the last of her tears from her face and gripped her sword more tightly. Her hair flew about her face, stuck with sweat and stringy. She could taste salt on her lips, dirt and tears, knowing she was a disheveled mess. She thought about her family and Ilarial and didn’t want to disappoint them. There was no giving up. There was more than just fear inside her, she could feel it. Straightening up, she breathed out slowly and began scanning the woods.